If you read yesterday’s blog, you will know that my mind right now is very much into Spring and everything that Spring means. Most people love Spring; not all, but most. As I look around the world, I come to Ukraine. Putin has begun a war there that in the 21st Century is hard to believe.

When I marched and picketed the Viet Nam War, we knew it was an illegal war, and we wanted it stopped then. We were sure if we stopped that war, there would be no more. We were wrong.

This time, it’s Putin’s war, and I wonder what the corpse of Hitler is thinking. There have been moments in this world that have felt so much like the Nazis are coming. That terrifies me, and I am sure that Holocaust survivors are not able to eat.

Ukrainian people have not done anything wrong, and neither had the Jews. Oh, excuse me, please, they were born Jews and not Germans, the Aryan race.

Russia thought they would walk into Ukraine and Ukranian people would roll over belly up, and say “yes, yes, make me a Russian again!” Ukrainians are independent, strong, proud people. They see no reason why they should be living under a dictator like Putin. They did not expect his actually invading their country. But, since he did, they were going to fight, and fight long and hard. Many women and children fled to Poland and then to other places where they had family or friends.

Children are waving goodbye to their fathers; wondering if they will see their favorite teachers again, or their friends. Wives are waving goodbye to their husbands at the border, because the men are going back into Ukraine to fight to the death.

The country is already fighting. There are towns in southern Ukraine that are 90% gone, burned to ash and knocked to rubble.

When Spring finally comes to Ukraine, there won’t be flowers blooming, their won’t be trees in bud, trees won’t be putting out blossoms. The ground that flowers grow in have been run over by tanks tenfold. They have been trampled by military boots. Trees have been run over by tanks, blown sky high by missiles and rockets.

When Putin’s war ends — and it will, and he will have lost — many Ukrainian people will want to go home. Whole apartment buildings will be gone. Theatres, grocery stores, libraries will be piles of ash. Flowers and trees will not exist. Putin will have taken everything from these people but their pride and their independence.

Mr. Putin, you are a war criminal and you are leading your people against and innocent country that has done nothing wrong. STOP the hate game. You will die, one day, and your people will dance in the streets, and the world will breathe a sigh of relief.

Namaste,

Idealisticrebel